Trump tells G7 Iran ‘near surrender’, but then Tehran vows retaliation

US President Trump has told G7 leaders on Wednesday (March 11) that Iran was about to surrender, but within 24 hours of his claim, Iran's new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to avenge the deaths of those killed in attacks by the US and Israel and urged his countrymen to keep fighting.

According to a report in Axios, President Trump was equally confident of the war’s outcome in private and in public. But on Friday (March 13), Trump vowed to go all out against the Islamic Republic, warning Iran to watch out for what happens to it.

Trump claims US has upper hand

Trump further stated that, contrary to media reports, the US had the upper hand in the war and was all set for a victory. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that the US military has obliterated the Iranian navy, air force and its stockpile of missiles and drones, along with the country’s top leadership.

Also Read: Trump may claim victory, but will Iran stop fighting?

"We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning. Iran's Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth,” stated Trump in a post on Truth Social.

“We have unparalleled firepower, unlimited ammunition, and plenty of time - Watch what happens to these deranged scumbags today. They've been killing innocent people all over the world for 47 years, and now I, as the 47th President of the United States of America, am killing them. What a great honour it is to do so," he added.

Iran vows to fight to ‘last breath’

Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said it had launched the 44th phase of its Operation True Promise 4, striking what it described as key military sites in Israeli-occupied territories and US bases across West Asia.

Also Read: In first statement, Iran Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vows to avenge war victims

According to the IRGC, the operation began with a heavy volley of Kheibar Shekan missiles, each equipped with a one-ton warhead, which it said hit a number of strategic targets, including Israeli military positions in the Palestinian territories, Tel Aviv, Eilat and West Al-Quds.

In a statement, the commander of Iran’s Khatam al Anbiya headquarters, Major General Ali Abdollahi, said Iranian armed forces would fight to the “last breath” against their enemies. The enemy, he added, would be “forced to pay the price for its crimes.”

Trump and Strait of Hormuz fears

Earlier, a CNN report said the administration of US President Donald Trump had underestimated the possibility that Iran might attempt to close the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes.

Also Read: Iran allows Indian ships safe passage through Strait of Hormuz after diplomatic talks

The report, quoting sources, further stated that during planning for the ongoing military operation, the Pentagon and the National Security Council did not fully expect Iran to move to shut the waterway, despite longstanding contingency plans prepared by the US military for such a scenario.

Economic analysis not central to discussions

Officials from the US Departments of Energy and Treasury attended some of the planning meetings before the operation began, but according to the report, the detailed economic projections and interagency assessments that usually inform major decisions were not a central focus of the discussions.

The conflict has now entered its 13th day, with neither side showing signs of stepping back.